100 Little Somethings
by Space Dimentio
Summary: A 100 theme challenge with no particular cohesive theme other than them all involving characters I like. Check my profile for a list of characters and what chapters they appear in if you're curious. Included fandoms: Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi, Kirby, Steven Universe, Professor Layton
1. Tender

Oh dear, I'm attempting a 100 theme challenge. This is a horrible idea.  
Anyways, since this is on FFN and I love me some favorite character writing, all of these will be about characters I like in some fashion. Not of them will be about Mario characters, but the majority are, hence why this is in the Mario section as I feel that it's the best place for it. I will also put an index up on my profile, so that if you want to know what chapters contain a certain character, you can find them easily.  
Let the insanity commence!

* * *

One: Tender  
Characters: Dimentio

What are these things, these feelings?  
Why does my heart tremble so,  
When I think of my future,  
A future without you all?

Am I growing soft? Weak?  
Or is this alright?  
I'm afraid to ask,  
Because I'm plotting to hurt you.

Why do I hurt too?  
I feel so bewildered.  
Is this the place I belong to?  
A place I'm about to lose?

Of all the things to say,  
I can only say "Ciao."


	2. Acceptance

Two: Acceptance  
Characters: Fawful

Fawful did not handle the loss of his mistress well at first. He screamed and cried and was a pile of general misery for several days.

But one morning, he got up, found something to eat, and started walking. He kept going until he got to Princess Peach's castle, bent on walking right in the front door and attacking the Mario Bros without much more than his bare fists.

No, she would call him a fool if he did that. So he poked around and discovered the sewers. So he set up a base there, where he could begin to pull himself together and start anew.

He traded beans for badges with the few people who visited, and went out and got what he needed when that wasn't enough. In time, the pain dulled, and working on new inventions brought the spark back to his spirit.

Soon enough, he began to discover what it was to be alone, to be independent and afraid. He didn't give up, didn't let his fear consume him. She wouldn't want him to be weak, and he would do this for her.

He watched. He listened. Word came to his ears of an artifact even more powerful than the Bean Star. With complete confidence, he set out to awaken the Dark Star.

This was the first scheme he had planned and performed on his own. He made mistakes, was merciful where he shouldn't have been. He lost his life.

But as the darkness overtook him, he did not cry. He did not scream. He accepted the fact that this was the end. He accepted that he had failed, that he would never be able to rightly face her again. But he also accepted that he had given it his best, and now he would be reunited with the person most important to him.


	3. Degraded

Three: Degraded  
Characters: Nastasia, Count Bleck

Far below them, the door opened with an ominous creak. The man in red entered, alone aside from the Pixl that always accompanied him. At her side, Nastasia saw Count Bleck flinch, before he got control of his emotions. She looked up at him with concern, a question in her eyes, but he didn't even notice.

She watched silently as her Count made his grand speech to the man in red. No matter what was said, the hero's expression never changed. And then, Tippi came forward and begged him to stop, causing a pang of jealousy and regret. She could have stopped him herself if she had only tried harder.

And then, the unthinkable happened. He sent her away.

She tried to protest, but he was firm, telling her to leave with his eyes if not his words. Keeping her hands clutched to her sides, she did as he asked her, teleporting away to her room.

She wanted to cry, but now was not the time. Chances are, she was never going to see him again. She couldn't waste a single moment.

But what was she to do? All this time, he had looked down upon her. She knew he could love her if he would only try, but he clung stubbornly to the past. What did that mean? Was she worth nothing to him? Why wouldn't he let her into his heart?

Maybe she truly was beneath him. Maybe she was nothing after all.


	4. Without

Four: Without  
Characters: Antasma

Vho am I, you ask?  
Born from nothing  
Und returning thus,  
Unvillingly drawn to that  
Darkness in you,  
Thee screams vhich are your nightmares

Vhat am I, you ask in horror.  
I towver over you,  
Seeing no sympathy,  
No succor to be given.  
I vas once simple,  
But ascended to a higher being.

I do not call for help,  
For no one vill give it.  
Thee Bat King,  
King of Nightmares,  
Evil seeped in loneliness  
I do not think I haff a soul.  
Do not give me your pity.  
I am vithout.


	5. Nowhere and Nothing

Five: Nowhere and Nothing  
Characters: Dark Meta Knight

There was an ear-piercing crash. His vision went white as pain consumed him, blotting out all memory of the moments before.

The sound died away. Slowly, white turned to black and pain to numbness. There was a ringing in his ears. He couldn't see.

Meta Knight…Yes, that's who he was. No, that wasn't right. He was his shadow, his dark side. He had failed?

Yes.

Why was this familiar? Had it happened before? Perhaps…No, he remembered the queen, her fascinated gaze peering into his mirror. He had whispered such dark things to her….

What now? How long could he wait this time?

…

…

How did he get here again? Where was here? What was his name?

Who-….?

He blinked.

…

…


	6. Composed

Six: Composed  
Characters: Count Bleck

He stood up there, waiting, alone except for Nastasia. He did not speak to her. He would rather send her away, but was afraid of what would happen if he did. No, he couldn't bear to be alone at this moment.

He rehearsed his speech in his head again. He knew Timpani would not want to hurt him. He would have to goad them to it. He would have to appear to be fighting them in earnest, or else all would be lost.

He would not truly hurt them though. He was the one who must die. He was the one who had destroyed an entire tribe and killed his own father. He was the one who deserved it, not all these worlds he was pretending to crush.

He knew what to say. If Timpani were to speak to his heart, though… He decided he would be honest with her. She deserved that much, and he would still push forward to the end.

The castle shook with The Void's rumblings. He hoped the others were ok. He knew they would be defeated, and he would have rather had them all here. But they wouldn't understand and would try to help him, and it added to the pretense anyway.

After an eternity, the man in red arrived. But he was alone. Had something happened? He pushed down his concern and his real soul, beginning his tirade with an eerie laugh. "Bleh heh heh heh heh…"


	7. Mirror

Seven: Mirror  
Characters: Mr. L

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his hands braced against the countertop. His hair was wet with sweat, and he wasn't wearing his mask. He was breathing heavily, staring at his own reflection with an unwavering gaze.

Mind racing, he couldn't think clearly. His thoughts were getting all jumbled up in a messy tangle, filling him with confusion and rage.

Slowly, he lifted the black facial mask clutched in his hand up and over his eyes. That eased his feelings for a moment, but it all came back as soon as he took it off again.

Looking back at him was a familiar stranger. He felt that the sight was familiar, but didn't know why. Him with his mask on wasn't so familiar, but felt more comfortable. Why couldn't he remember anything past a few weeks ago? Where the hell did he come from?

And the heroes…It seemed as if he'd seen them before, somewhere…That he could trust them…But that ridiculous, because the only person he could trust was Count Bleck.

Staring at himself with heavy silence, evanescent flickers of memory flitted through his mind. He remembered something about Count Bleck and Nastasia looming over him…a wedding…the hero in red…the dungeon, and Dimentio…a name…Luigi?

Who was Luigi?

He was Luigi?

NO! He was Mr. L! HE WAS MR. L, AND NOTHING COULD TELL HIM OTHERWISE!

With a furious screech, he slammed his fist into the mirror, shattering it and cutting his knuckles. His blood dripped quietly onto the floor while he slowly calmed down. Once his breathing had become even, he pushed all thoughts of his past out of his head and went to find Nastasia, for both first-aid and reassurance…


	8. Fly

Eight: Fly  
Characters: Magolor

With a sigh, he placed the last piece for the eighth time. He no longer believed this ship could be repaired, but he kept trying anyway because it was all he had left. There was a clunk as the gear was locked into place, but then…nothing.

He sighed, and went to remove the gear. He'd have to dismantle the whole thing and start over yet again. Just as his gloved hand was about to touch it, the engine suddenly glowed with a white light. He gasped and jumped back, watching wide eyed as the light spread along the lines that marked the ancient machine. A powerful hum filled the room as the atmosphere became much brighter and somehow alive.

With a squeak of excitement, he dashed out of the engine room and made a beeline for the control deck. Its buttons glowed, polished with impeccability, and the screen in front of it was blank and waiting. Slowly, he lowered his hand to the panel of buttons and just felt the energy of the great ship.

He simply breathed in and out for a few moments, tears of joy clouding his vision. At last, the project he'd spent years on was complete. At last, he would fly.


	9. Defeat

Nine: Defeat  
Characters: Mr. L

Explosions rocked the cockpit around him. He mashed buttons, trying to compel the giant robot to continue the fight. He hit the pilot ejector button just before a particularly big surge of electricity hit, destroying the carefully crafted control seat. He never noticed.

His mind was blank as the void of space shattered around him. He struck the cold metal floor of the Whoa Zone with a harsh yelp, knocking the breath from him and jolting his thoughts back into action. This was impossible! How could he have lost?!

With a quiet groan, he shakily stood, coughing at the singed smell of his clothing. He turned, facing the incredibly familiar, liquid blue eyes of his enemy. Where did he know him from? Why did he feel like he could trust him? This all felt so wrong, because this was someone he was supposed to protect, and right, because it was his mission to assassinate.

He sprang away from both the enemy and his fears. Later, he would convince himself it was only the shock of defeat. But he knew better, still felt the depressing feeling of living in someone's shadow.


	10. Change in the Weather

Ten: Change in the Weather  
Characters: Count Bleck, Blumiere's father

He knew something had changed when his son came home for the hundredth time, his uptight secretary following at his heels as usual. Something was different, had been changing for a while, but it was so subtle that he couldn't figure out what. Whenever he was home, the atmosphere of the whole castle was brought down, but it seemed to be worse this time. The clouds outside refused to be any color except an angry dark grey.

It wasn't until Blumiere broke down the door to his office that he could put a finger on it. It wasn't until he lay on the floor dying, his castle falling down around him, that he realized despair and hatred has replaced hope and love.


	11. Reborn

Eleven: Rebirth  
Characters: Antasma

In the dark of night  
The bat did fly  
Alone and without might

Exiled was he  
Left to die  
He just couldn't leave things be

On the verge of death  
A blessing he found  
Like a living breath

It called to him  
There, on the ground  
Energy to fill him to the brim

Whispers of dark  
Lulled him to sleep  
Siren song he did hark

He woke with a form brand new  
No longer did he weep  
Reborn, revenge he did brew


	12. Only Human

Twelve: Only Human  
Characters: Dimentio

Only human. That phrase had puzzled him all his life. Only human. What did it mean, exactly? If it only meant that it was okay to make mistakes, he didn't agree with it. A mistake could end your life.

He thought there was more to it than that. That it had something to do with emotions as well as mistakes. Emotions were another thing he didn't get. Of course, he felt them, but they terrified him, so he locked them all away in a little box in the back of his mind. It really bothered him when one got out every so often. Like now, as he contemplated his position in the castle.

He was the best minion, of course, and even better than the count. The count had no idea his strings were being ever so carefully pulled. None of them had even the slightest inkling of what was really going on. Was it human to feel the tiniest bit bad about it? Probably. Maybe. It wouldn't stop him. He wasn't going to let it stop him. Sometimes, he wondered if a world all his own was really going to make him feel better. He knew it wouldn't. But he didn't stop.

He watched. He was always watching. The heroes were certain to succeed. He had deciphered both Prognostici long ago, and was carefully guiding them along each step. He watched their interactions, and wondered what inspired the man in red to spend his days rescuing the fair damsel over and over and over again. He wondered how someone hell bent on killing said man could just drop everything and work with him.

It wasn't his place to wonder. It was his task to make sure all the puzzle pieces came together nicely. He knew the Dark Prognosticus was using him. It would leave him in misery, as it had all its other owners, but still, he hoped. He was only human, so he hoped.

It hurt. It truly hurt, the way everyone around here treated him. Never before had he been allowed to stay in someone's company for so long, let alone several someone's. Sure, they thought he was creepy and evil, but they still so foolishly trusted him. And he so foolishly trusted them back. For once, he slept peacefully, confident that nothing worse than a prank would befall him while his guard was down.

And the count. He wanted to like the count, but he feared him. His magic was more powerful than his own, and he had lied. For that transgression he would never be forgiven.

He watched with interest as Nastasia carefully crafted the newest minion, quietly extinguishing all signs of his past life with precision. She didn't know he was there, but he was, and he saw everything. Count Bleck had had to torture him, break his spirit. He cried while he did it. They should have let him do it. He wouldn't have cried. What he did do was provided the slightest little nudge, a tiny push in his loyalties, so that when the time came there would be a set alliance.

He didn't anticipate how it would affect the final product. The mechanic sought him out, wanted to spend time with him. Actually enjoyed his company. He forgot to watch himself around him. There was more than the thin strand of trust he had allowed between him and everyone else. It was more like a rope. Maybe a chain. He was going to have to break it. Both because he couldn't stand it, and because he had to it. So it was written, so it must be done.

But he didn't want to. He didn't want this person who liked him, appreciated him, saw him for who he was, to go away. He told himself he could be brought back. It was a lie. He didn't truly exist in the first place. He was an illusion.

That was the only thought that made him strong enough to do it. As the screams died away, he whispered, "Ciao…Mr. L." He was only human, so he cried. But he didn't stop. He was only human, so he watched the puzzle pieces fall, interlock into ugliness, and, finally, breathed his last. He was only human, so he suffered, wondering what he had done, why he had been made so malformed, so inhuman. All his life, he had reached out his hand, but no one took it.


	13. Satisfied

Thirteen: Satisfied  
Characters: Cackletta, Fawful

At first, she could ignore the crying. She went on picking her poisonous mushrooms and tried to keep it in the back of her mind. Eventually though, she had to figure out where the devil it was coming from.

She found him there, abandoned in a bush. The note made it clear that he wasn't wanted, was even despised. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined making such a decision, but make it she did.

She rescued him, took him in, and found herself enjoying motherhood more than she ever imagined she would. She had her doubts, her bad moments, and there were times she thought she regretted it. But she didn't, not truly. Watching this tiny, useless being grow and become an amazing creature was the most incredible experience of her life. Nothing else would ever compare.

She knew raising him to be evil like her wasn't exactly right. Even if he had gone over to the side of good, she would still have been proud of him and wouldn't have loved him any less. Even when she met her demise, she watched him recover and blossom further. His plan was ingenious, far better than hers had been. He was doomed to failure, as all villains were. It was the one regret she had, that she had doomed him.

She blamed him for nothing. She welcomed him with open arms.


	14. Eternity

Fourteen: Eternity  
Characters: Count Bleck, Timpani, Nastasia, Dimentio

It was an eternity without you  
You had my heart  
I looked and searched forever  
Once we were torn apart

It was an eternity without you  
I forgot for a time  
My heart, it shrieks  
When it thinks of the crime

It was an eternity with you  
You were there, right beside me  
But I did not have your love  
Broken will I forever be

It was an eternity alone  
Never was I gifted with a smile  
Not until you did I ever regret  
My cunning, my darkness so vile

Now I am but a whisper on the wind so vain  
Now we shall never part again  
Now I will forever be broken by pain


	15. The True You

Fifteen: The True You  
Characters: Mimi

I look in a mirror  
And see a pretty girl with glee  
But that's not me

She's just another disguise  
She fools everyone  
They really should run

This monster, this killer  
She's the reason I have no family  
The spider is only one part, you see

She is true, I am false  
He believes I can get better  
But I know they'll only get deader


	16. Shadows

Sixteen: Shadows  
Characters: Amethyst

This isn't an apology.

I act the way I do because I have to. You can yell all you want but I ain't gonna change.

You think you're so perfect, but you can never be and you know it. How can you expect that of me, huh? Huh?!

You just don't get it. Quit trying, I'm not worth it. You make me feel worthless. Sometimes I hate you, but

You don't see what haunts me. You can't understand. I know you do it because you care. I don't know what I'd ever do without a friend like you. I love you. Thanks for trying to chase these shadows away from me, P, but I just gotta deal. They won't go away.

-Amethyst


	17. Dead Wrong

Seventeen: Dead Wrong  
Characters: Professor Hershel Layton, Inspector Chelmey, Luke Triton

Chelmey shook his head slowly, rubbing his chin in thought. "I don't think he's here, Layton," he said carefully.

"In that, you are dead wrong. I am certain all the clues point to this location…" He surveyed the ordinary looking office with skilled eyes. It was, in fact, his very own office at Gressenheller University. He had yet to figure out how someone had gotten in here without his knowledge.

Chelmey shrugged and slipped his hands into his coat pockets. "Are you sure you don't know who took the boy?"

The professor closed his eyes, pulling down the brim of his famous top hat. "No…not a clue. Whoever they are, they are extremely clever. But they will lose this game of wits…for the answer…" He tipped his head to one side. "To this puzzle…" His head tilted the other way. "Is…there!" The archeologist pointed at his bookshelf, eyes filled with cold, worried determination.

He strode over to the bookshelf and began to systematically pull on certain books and knick-knacks. "Once I enter this combination, a slot on the wall should open to a hidden chamber. There, we will find Luke. If this kidnapper has followed the rules they set forth, he should be unharmed…"

Chelmey looked perturbed. "Hmph. What a load of-"

There was a loud click, and a panel on the wall beside the shelf slid open just as the professor said it would. The archeologist hastened to catch the limp form of his surrogate son before it could hit the floor.

"Luke? Can you hear me? …Luke? Luke?!"

Chelmey immediately called an ambulance, but it was all in vain. For once, the great Professor Layton had been dead wrong.


	18. Joy

Eighteen: Joy  
Characters: Ruby, Sapphire, Garnet

_I was once lost  
But she found me  
I found her_

She looked around frantically, ignoring Steven, who was trying to talk to her. She could hear singing…

_I felt so worthless  
But I never was  
We aren't_

She tried to follow it, but the damn place was so big! She couldn't tell where it was coming from.

_Someday you'll see  
What love does  
We're stronger than you_

Suddenly, there she was. Steven had freed her. Relief flooded through them both as they kissed.

_Together  
We are never alone  
Never again_

She wanted to sing. Their joy and love made a warm, bright light, and then they were one.

_One soul  
Nothing can tear us apart  
I am Garnet_


	19. Hero

Nineteen: Hero  
Characters: Meta Knight, Fumu (Tiff)

It was the middle of the night, and Meta Knight was locked away in the king's unused library, finding the light of the moon and stars distasteful tonight. He rarely felt at peace and now was no exception, but he managed to lose himself in a book of old legends and war heroes.

All was quiet up until the point where someone opened the door. He glanced up, wondering who else could be awake at this ungodly hour. Judging by the way they were muttering under their breath, they seemed to be rather agitated.

It turned out to be Fumu. She came around the corner and didn't spot him at first. After a moment, she saw him huddled in his nook by the light of a dimmed lantern and gasped. "Oh! Sir Meta Knight! What are you doing here?"

"Sleep often evades me, Fumu," he said. "Reading helps. What are you doing up?"

She blinked, then sat across from him at the little end table. "Well, I couldn't really sleep either…"

He chuckled. "I see. Does something trouble you?"

Fumu shrugged. "Not really. Well… I do feel kinda down. I wish everyone would respect me… They never listen when I talk to them. …I kinda wanna be a hero like you…Sir Meta Knight…"

Meta Knight didn't respond for an uncomfortable length of time. "…You should enjoy your youth while you can, Fumu."

She bit her lip. "…Tell me a story."

"I think you are a little too old for a bedtime story."

"No, not that kind of story! …Can I hear something from your past?" She employed the classic puppy-dog eyes.

He would have liked to. Fumu was one of the few people whose company he actually enjoyed. She was intelligent, and didn't annoy him, but she was still too young to hear such things. He shook his head.

"Why not…?" she sighed, looking disappointed.

"My past is…terrible. I cannot talk about it."

"Sir Meta Knight?" She looked at him with concern, realizing she'd crossed into personal territory.

"Yes, Fumu?"

"I'm sorry. I should know better than to butt into your business…"

"It's alright. Everyone is curious about me, but…"

"Have you talked about it with Sword and Blade?"

"…A little, but far from everything."

So, his own knaves didn't even know about his past? "I don't get it though. You're a hero, aren't you?"

He laughed bitterly. "Yes, although I would rather be anything but."

"How come?"

"It is not a glamorous title to earn. I have lost so much…" His eyes turned a soft, liquid purple.

Fumu turned away, unable to bear the sadness in them. "I should head off to bed…" She started to leave, abandoning the notion of reading.

"Wait!"

She stopped, confused. Meta Knight stood and handed her the book he had been reading. "Take this with you. Perhaps you will find what you are looking for."

She smiled. "Thanks, Sir Meta Knight! Good night!"

Then she was gone. Meta Knight sighed, and settled back into his seat. He spent the rest of the night alone, eyes green with thought.


	20. Keeping a Secret

Twenty: Keeping a Secret**  
**Characters: Steven Universe, Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst

Steven tugged on Pearl's shirt for the millionth time, looking up at her with stars in his eyes. "C'mon! Tell me! What's the secret?"

Pearl sighed impatiently and removed Steven's hands. "It's nothing important, Steven. Why don't you go play with Connie or er video games or something."

"Peeeearl, she's at school!" Steven whined, wrapping himself around her legs. "C'mon! What is it? Tell me!"

"Steven…" Pearl groaned, running a hand over her forehead.

The warp pad lit up as Garnet and Amethyst arrived. Steven detached from her and ran in excited circles around them. "Guys! Pearl has a secret and she won't tell me what it is!"

Amethyst immediately grinned and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Pearl, who had lunged across the room to put both hands over the purple Gem's mouth.

A small smile tugged at Garnet's lips. "I know what it is."

"Garnet!" Pearl protested, still struggling to keep Amethyst quiet. Amethyst bit her hand, causing her to yelp and a wrestling match to ensue.

Steven climbed up to the fusion's shoulders, wrapping his arms around her neck. He hung there, giggling. "Oh! Oh! What is it what is it?"

Garnet picked him up and set him down on the floor. She bent down and whispered something in his ear.

Steven gasped, stars appearing in his widened eyes. He spun around to face Pearl, almost falling over. "You like death metal?!"

She blushed, separating herself from Amethyst. She turned away, crossing her arms. "I d-do not!"

"Is it 'cause mom liked it?"

Pearl huffed, her blue blush deepening. She threw her hands up. "Al-Alright! So sometimes I listen to it! She always talked about the energy and the feelings humans put into it…"

Amethyst dissolved into a laughing fit while Garnet watched stoically. "You like her!" the purple Gem bellowed, pointing.

Pearl put her face in her hands, trying to hide her mortal embarrassment.

"Hey! Quit laughing!" Steven said, angry. Amethyst shut it, tilting her head curiously.

Steven walked up to Pearl and put a hand on her stomach, as high as he could reach. "Pearl…"

Pearl peeked out from in between her fingers and saw that Steven was looking at her with a completely serious expression.

"It's okay…" he said, then smiled. "I bet she liked you, too!"

She could see Rose in his expression. Tears dripped to the floor. Garnet dragged Amethyst from the room, leaving them alone.

Pearl shook her head, sitting down on the couch. "You don't know that…"

"Does it matter?"

"I don't see what she could have ever seen in me… Even after all these years I still don't truly understand all the things she saw in this planet and its people… There's so many illogical things, and I just don't get it… Steven, do you know why her favorite music was people screaming?"

"Uh… I don't really like it either, but I guess some people do because it makes them feel alive?"

Pearl chuckled at his puzzled expression.

"You know, it's okay for everyone to like different things. What kind of music do _you_ like?"

"Well… I do enjoy classical music. It's formulaic, and oh, the instrumental selection is so natural, and…"

Steven listened, taking a seat beside her.


	21. Tower

Twenty-one: Tower  
Characters: Tippi/Timpani

"_It was by Count Bleck's hand that the Chaos Heart was summoned, bringing this peril. Without him, the prophecy's power will wither, and all worlds can avoid their ends…_"

Merlon's words revolved around in her mind, circling again and again as she tried to find some way, ANY way, around them. It couldn't be the only solution, it just couldn't…

She remembered everything now; every touch, every kiss, every embrace, every word, every promise… She could hardly believe that this Count Bleck was her Blumiere. What could have driven him to do something so awful? He had cherished the world like no other, so how could he commit the worst crime imaginable? But his broken heart had shown at times, and she knew it was so, deep down in her own.

She looked up at the tall, dark tower with dread, the darkest shadow in a world of shadows. Its obsidian stones gleamed with a sinister light. She settled onto Mario's hat, her wings trembling too much to keep her airborne.

They rode the elevator up in complete silence, the only sound the ominous whir of the mysterious ancient technology. At the top was a single set of double doors, as black as the tower itself and with poisonous purple designs etched into it. They could see all of Flopside from here, and, if you squinted just right, what might have been Flipside. Tippi considered throwing herself into the open air, just to see what would happen if she fell.

The four heroes paused in front of the singular door, The Void taking up every inch of sky that they could see. Their hearts beat loudly with fear as the world shook violently around them. Time was running out.

Nolrem and Merlon ushered them on, trying to encourage and warn them. Tippi barely registered what they said, but tried to be brave. Her heart was crying out in agony. Mario paused, then opened the ebony door and stepped into the waiting darkness, Tippi's heart weighed down by terror most of all.


	22. Optimistic

Twenty-two: Optimistic  
Characters: Mimi

Mimi thought of herself as an optimistic person.

Even though horrible things tended to happen to her.

Even though she tended to cause lots of horrible things herself.

She's seen and done things no one should ever have to, especially someone her age. Then again, she had no idea how old she really was, so who could say how appropriate it was or not. Either way, she still managed to be an innocent little creature with a hopeful smile always plastered on her face.

She really did like teenage girl stuff, don't be mistaken about that. Clothes and money did indeed make her heart sing.

But no one ever wanted to be her friend, especially not her boyfriend. Not once they found out what she truly was. After a while, she started eating the ones that ran away.

She was glad she didn't have to eat the count. She really, really, wished she could eat Dimentio without consequences.

Despite this, she still managed to maintain a hopeful outlook on life. She would find the one someday, she was sure. She was an optimistic person, after all, and there was bound to be someone out there who could love her true form for what it was.

…Maybe.


	23. Rejection

Twenty-three: Rejection  
Characters: Antasma

He scanned the shadowy meadow carefully. He didn't sense anyone nearby, but…

His claws clicked together nervously. He hardly dared to go out into the open, but oh… There were all sorts of flowers, so beautiful in the moonlight… He'd like nothing better than to go and lie down among them…

So what was stopping him? Well, there was the fact that he was constantly being hunted down, for instance. His only crime was existing. All he wanted to do was watch and learn, but every time someone saw him hiding in the shadows, he was chased away. He'd only been around for two moon cycles, but he was already quite sick of fearing for his life all the time.

He cautiously went forward up to the edge of the moonlight, ears perked and listening intently for any intruding noises. Sensing no one, he went out into the midst of the flowers. He took a few deep breaths and finally managed to relax.

After many moments of remaining undisturbed, he lay down on the grass and looked up at the stars, his long legless body coiled under him while he rested his head on his arms. The sounds of night creatures gradually returned around him. For once, he felt relatively at peace.

His life was terrible. He felt doomed. He didn't know what he could do to change it for the better. Everything he tried was met only by fear and hate, and he didn't understand why. He hated hearing screams whenever someone caught sight of him. What was he doing wrong?

He heaved a deep sigh, trying to push his negativity away. He hoped that perhaps someday he wouldn't have to be afraid at all. The world could be a wonderful place for him, if only its people would let it.

There were so many things out there to learn, and he couldn't reach any of it. He wanted to know what this thing was that was calling to him. It was powerful, and he could pinpoint exactly where on the island it was. Instinct told him to stay far away from it, but it was tempting, made of the same energy he needed to live…

Resistance grew harder the more frustrated he became. Moments like this made him feel as if he didn't need it, but when people were actively trying to kill him… It was difficult, finding beauty in the world.

His hackles stood up in a threatening line whenever he thought about the force. It was obviously dangerous, in all its allure. He had to keep holding out hope. Nature changed, and he was part of it. Things couldn't always be like this.

_Antasma…_

There it was again, that voice, that word. He didn't know what it meant. He whimpered, covering his ears though it was no use.

_…Antasma…_

_No! Go avay! Leaf me alone! _

_You will come…in time…_

There had to be someone or something out there that would help him. There just had to be.


	24. Anticipation

Twenty-four: Anticipation  
Characters: Meta Knight, Kirby

He paced around the room, blood pounding loudly in his veins. The ship was falling, its engines destroyed. Everyone else had evacuated, everyone except for his most loyal knights. He worried for their safety.

He knew he had already failed. But there was one last test to be had.

He halted, listening. The radio buzzed, and a voice whispered, "I'm sorry Meta Knight… We failed…"

"It is alright. Please go, while there is still time," he told them. "And…do not worry about me." Before they could protest, he smashed the communications array, cutting off all contact. He took out a sword and planted it firmly in the center of the room. The other would be here soon.

With all his dreams literally crashing down around him, he had no plans to survive. He anticipated one last, glorious battle, and then nothing. He leaped up to the jutting platform and waited.

* * *

The last of the four knights defeated, Kirby took a moment to catch his breath. The ship was coming down, but there was one person left who hadn't evacuated yet. He knew them. They would refuse to do so until they had fought.

He didn't want to hurt Meta Knight. He loved him. He was his mentor, almost like a father to him. He didn't know what was wrong, but he had to do something to stop this madness. He was going to help him one way or another.

Kirby continued on and found the control deck. There was the once honorable knight, waiting for him. He had his bloodstained cape wrapped tightly around him, though it failed to hide the tremors that wracked his frame. A jagged crack extended from the top of his mask down to the eyehole.

Kirby felt tears well up in his eyes. It had only been a few weeks since he had last seen Meta Knight. What had and was happening to him? Was it too late to save him?

He saw the gleaming sword awaiting his use. Of course. Meta Knight would never fight him without making it fair.

But they had never fought full on like this. "M-Meda Nigh?" he managed to squeak out, looking up at someone he used to trust completely.

Meta Knight said nothing, his yellow eyes giving off the same golden glow they always had.

Kirby took a deep breath and picked up the sword.


	25. Hold My Hand

**I'm a quarter of the way there, by boogity... eheheh... I'll be done in like 2017 or something...**

* * *

Twenty-five: Hold My Hand  
Characters: Hershel Layton, Claire

At first, he was a little worried for his sanity. Be strong, she said, but how could he?

It was cruel, getting such a brief glimpse into the past. It had always hurt, and now he had lost her all over again. He could hardly stay standing.

He could still feel it all, as if she had never left; the pressure of her arms holding him securely, the feather-light touch of her lips, the soft ghost of a goodbye. Then, she was gone, just like that, just like the first time.

It wasn't fair, he wanted to scream at the sky. It just wasn't fair, to get only a small taste of something he held so dear to his heart. He hadn't even known it was her until her time was almost up.

Why hadn't she told him sooner? He would have believed her, no matter what she said to him. His mind might have called him crazy, but his heart would have known.

He felt tears running down his cheeks, heard the soft drip-drop of them hitting the pavement.

Why hadn't he known? He _should_ have known! …Why…

A cold wind blew lightly past him, but he didn't feel it. As snow began to drift down around him, he slowly, hesitantly, removed his famous top-hat. He cradled it in his hands; her last, precious gift.

And he cried silently, shoulders shaking with grief. He cared not for who was around him, only feeling the gaping loss of someone who should have been there. Her name occupied his mind; things he should have said, things that meant even more now that it was too late.

He would have given anything to have just a few seconds more. He would have given anything just to hold her hand.


	26. 33 Percent

Twenty-six: 33%  
Characters: Merlon (SPM)

Merlon paged through the Light Prognosticus once again, feeling an odd sense of disquiet today. Just a few days ago, he'd experienced the destruction of The Void, only living now thanks to the power of the Purity Heart. He shuddered a little, thinking about how close it had been. He couldn't truly remember what it had been like, only feeling that to not exist in any way, shape, or form was horrible.

As he looked at the pages, he wished that Tippi – no, Timpani – was here to help him. Though he had spent his whole life reading and translating ancient texts, he still had difficulty deciphering the Prognosticus. It often ended up being rather cryptic, though the main problem was that the words were always shifting and changing, some details becoming clearer, others murkier, the strings of fate never truly set in stone.

Yes, Timpani certainly had been of great assistance. With her abilities as an information Pixl, she was much faster at figuring out things. Needing no food and little rest, she often stayed up all night, storing away information for him to compile in the morning.

The Ancient sighed. How dearly he missed her…

Grief was a part of the thing troubling his heart. His house seemed too quiet. The two towns themselves felt desolate, the somewhat untrustworthy remaining minions of Count Bleck sulking around. Everyone seemed to be trapped in a stupor of disbelief.

No, what was truly troubling him was right in front of his eyes. Despite the past atrocities the world had endured, despite the darkest threat of universal destruction, the disaster the book had been created to prevent… Only a third of the Light Prognosticus's pages were filled. Already, there was a new prophecy, a vast expanse of blank sheets waiting past it.

With another deep sigh, Merlon sat down at his desk and began the slow process of translation once more.


	27. Silence

Twenty-seven: Silence  
Characters: Mr. L

He waited in silence. It was so quiet, his ears were actually hurting from the strain of struggling to catch sounds that weren't there.

He fiddled with Brobot's remote, feeling uncommonly nervous. It was the place, he thought. There was literally nothing here. No noises, no people, barely even the scarcely scattered remains of buildings.

He put the remote away and began to pace, footsteps sounding unnaturally loud. He stopped quickly, increasingly becoming annoyingly aware of every sound he made. He was beginning to wish he could go home. The castle might have been similarly unicolored and oppressive, but at least there was the constant quiet roar of The Void in the background. At least there were people to find if you looked.

His stomach churned uncomfortably. This wasn't… This wasn't what they were hoping for, was it? Talking about world destruction was one thing, but this...this was madness. He didn't know what he wanted for a perfect world, but he at least knew he didn't like this. He shouldn't care, though… It wasn't his job to care. After all, it was only all the living creatures and people everywhere…

He shook his head, looking around in vain for a distraction. But there really was just nothingness. Dimentio had simply dumped him here, briefly explaining that The Void had been through here already. He had only to wait around for the heroes to return in search of what was left of the Pure Heart.

He could see it from here, a tiny stone in the distance. If he took it now and brought it to Count Bleck, it would mean the end for the heroes. But he really couldn't resist dangling their only hope under their noses before snatching it away. He would spring out from his hiding place at just the right time, and then he'd settle the score once and for all.

He tried to focus on that instead, letting anger fill him. He was determined never to lose again! There was no way they would beat him a second time, not with all the work he'd put into perfecting Brobot…and himself…

He couldn't seem to keep his thoughts from going down darker paths. He felt sick, the silence far heavier and more suffocating than anything he'd ever known. Swallowing thickly, he couldn't block out the booming sound of his blood pounding through his ears.

Some small part of him was drowning in despair. Everything was wrong, _wrong, __**WRONG**_! This place, his mission, his enemies, himself _oh Grambi who was he why was he doing this all those people everything gone himself lost confused who something was going to happen something bad to him he needed to scream cry his skin was crawling –_

He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Calm refused to come to him. He stood there trembling, his eyes filled with whiteness, staring and unable to process the lack of sensory information.

He really, really hoped the heroes would come soon, because he didn't know how much longer he could keep a hold of his sanity.

He shivered.


	28. Magic

Twenty-eight: Magic  
Characters: Cackletta, Fawful

The young beanish child watched the witch closely, gasping in delight when a small flame appeared from seemingly nowhere in her hand. He clapped and chattered excitedly, "Mistress, mistress! How are you having the doing of that?"

The witch banished the flame and patted his head. "That, my apprentice, was magic."

"Magic? Have explaining."

"Well, it's a little difficult to put into words. For most people, anything that they don't understand is basically magic to them. But that's a stupid, foolish notion, because you can learn how anything works with hard work."

Fawful nodded. "I have the seeing. So how does the magics have happening?"

"Eyehahaha! It happens like so!" She held out her hand, palm up. "Somewhere within you is a reserve of energy. All you have to do is tap into it, concentrate, and will it to do what you want." The flame reappeared.

Fawful's eyes widened. "I have some understandings…but perhapsing I should be trying for myselfs?"

Cackletta nodded, rubbing her chin. "Yes, yes, let's see what you can do."

Fawful nodded, then proceeded to concentrate so hard on his hands that it looked like his glasses were going to fly off his face. Cackletta found it almost cute, but didn't say so of course. "No, no, no!" she stopped him. "You're trying much too hard. Loosen up, and feel for it."

"Okaying! I will have more looseness, Great Cackletta." He adjusted his glasses and tried again. And again. And again.

Slowly, his smile turned into a frown, his brow furrowed, and tears of frustration sprang into his eyes. Finally, he stopped and turned to her. "I-I have sorries, oh Great Cackletta… I am having the disappointment of you…"

The bean witch snorted. "Honestly, I would have been surprised if you'd gotten it so quickly. Most magic users have to practice for a long time before they can even do something basic." She patted his head again. "So don't worry too much about it. The most important thing to remember is to keep trying."

He smiled and nodded, wiping his face. "I am seeing. I will have the much practice, and I will be the toady of bestness ever!"

"Good. When you get something to happen, tell me before you accidentally do anything stupid."

"Yesing, mistress!"

"Now, I have some important work to do, so don't go bothering me in my study…or else!" Electricity crackled threateningly around her fingers, causing Fawful to scurry away with a quick "Okayo!"

* * *

So he went to practicing. And trying. And scowling till he sweated. Days turned into weeks, then a month, two months. No matter what he did, no matter what advice Cackletta offered, he just couldn't do it. It quickly became apparent that Fawful had absolutely no magical talent whatsoever.

Cackletta had no idea what to do with him now. As she watched Fawful mope about the hideout, she considered throwing him out. But she didn't really want to send him away, since he had only her and nowhere to go. Besides, he was almost like her…_nephew twice removed_ or some such. He might be annoying, but leaving him alone and abandoned for the second time was cruel, even for her.

But she needed someone to pass down _all_ of her skills to. With no magical potential, what could she really teach him?

* * *

One night, there was a soft knocking at her study door. "Haven't I told you not to bother me when I'm working?!" she snapped at the small green head poking past the doorframe.

Fawful flinched reflexively. "P-Please do not have zapping of me! This is being of importance…"

Cackletta sighed, turning her chair to face him. "Alright. What is it?"

He shuffled inside slowly, hands folded behind his back. "I have had the disappointings of you…"

Her expression softened. "That's hardly your fault, Fawful. It's not like you didn't try."

The little bean child didn't look any less sad. "I am knowing that this has not the sameness, but… If-If I cannot have the shooting of lighting from the fingertips of mine like you when you have fury, then…"

He looked up at her, then carefully pulled out a small, oddly-shaped gun from behind his back. "Then I will have the lighting shooting from this."

Cackletta blinked. "Did you make that yourself?"

"Yesing. It had taking me many nights…"

"Well, that's cute, but I have things I need to do."

"Wait!" He rushed over to her. "Have waiting! I will have the showing you!" He pointed the device in front of him and pulled the trigger, blowing a sizeable hole in the wall with a deafening _zap!_ He was lucky nothing important had been there.

Coughing, Cackletta waved away the dust, stunned. "Let me see that," she said after a moment. Fawful handed the invention to her with caution. She turned it over in her hands, examining what he'd done. It was ingenious, really. Slowly, a big grin took over her face.

Fawful began to inch away, unsure if he was in trouble for damaging his mistress's private study. "Fawful." He jumped to attention.

"Forget about magic. I think you're going to be a better toady than I even imagined."

He smiled proudly as she gave back the ray gun.

"If you can make something like that now, just imagine what you can do in the future!" She ruffled his lone tuft of hair excitedly and began to pace. "Why, with my magic, your inventions, and both our evil plotting skills, we can do anything!"

"So it is being okay that I am not having the magics?"

She surprised him by pulling him into a rare hug. "Yes, Fawful! I think you've got something even better." She held him by the shoulders, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You get good enough with that stuff, and you've got your very own brand of magic!"

"Oh-ing! I will have the learnings right away!"

The bean witch let go of her apprentice and started to root around in her many piles of books. "Yes, yes, I'll see what I can find to help." She turned to him and held up a finger, stopping him from leaving. "But first, you need to patch up that hole you made in my wall."

Fawful drooped. "Yesing, mistress…"

It would have taken him forever to fix by himself, so she helped him out for the sake of making her study private again, or so she said.

Cackletta watched his progress with his inventing, feeling increasingly proud and fond of him. He was a natural technological savant.

He didn't need magic after all. He never really did.


	29. No Time

Twenty-nine: No Time  
Characters: Merlon, Nolrem

The grand tar- and violet-colored doors closed with a soft creak of finality. The two brothers looked at the other, one standing by each side of the door. Behind them, the sky was gone. In its place was a quietly roaring vortex; the sucking wind it produced pulled gently at their cloaks.

The twin dimensions-in-between-dimensions were silent. All of the residents, Flipside and Flopside alike, were at home with their loved ones, or despairing at their ultimate loneliness. Perhaps there would have been a few suicides had death been any escape from this nightmare.

Nolrem was afraid. It felt like the wind was trying to tear him apart atom by atom. Malevolent and hungry, it likely was. How a black hole could want anything, how it could be conscious at all, was beyond him, but Grambi, it was _aware_… He could _feel_ how much it hated him, how much it despised every molecule of everything that had ever existed. He numbly wondered if, in the end, it would still exist, ravenous with nothing left to consume, or if it would cease to be as well to create the true nothingness it embodied.

Void. Darkness. Chaos. Could Hope, Light, and Love even stand up to such an unholy trinity?

There were earthquakes every other second now. He looked at Merlon, his twin, his opposite, his former brother in everything but actual blood. Not many people knew that he was a descendant of the Ancients, nor that he himself was from the Tribe of Darkness. Not many knew of the towns' history at all, or that there even _were_ two towns.

But Merlon and Nolrem had known. They had known each other ever since they could remember; they were instant best friends from the moment they met. Their predecessors did nothing to foster the friendship, but did nothing to hinder it either, as long as it did not interfere with their duties as guardians of the dimensions in between dimensions. They were a rare example of how well the two tribes could get along.

It didn't last. They saw less and less of each other as they grew older, and then not at all except in times of need. They began to disagree, got into fights, and eventually parted on ill terms. They hadn't talked for years, until Merlon finally asked for his help with this crisis.

The shaking became ceaseless. "The worlds tremble… Has… Has the end finally come?" Merlon wondered aloud. Looking at him, Nolrem could see how terrified he was. He was scared too, had been scared for a while now, unable to hold quite as much hope as his counterpart had.

Colors were beginning to fade away. "How unfortunate…" Nolrem said, hesitating, then stepping closer. Meeting his brother's eyes, he quietly took Merlon's hand and held it firmly, regretting that there wasn't time for the apology the other truly deserved. Merlon's expression said that it was not needed.

Everything was silent as time stopped.


	30. Agitation

Thirty: Agitation  
Characters: Doopliss, Count Bleck/Blumiere, Tippi/Timpani

"Timpani, my love!" the blue-skinned man onscreen called, a hand held out towards his human girlfriend. "Why do you run from me? Why?"

She turned, bright tears falling freely. "Blumiere, please! This cannot continue!"

Close enough now, he put a hand on her shoulder, only to draw it away when she flinched. "T-Timpani… What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, truly…" She shook her head. "Just a little sunburn is all…"

He snorted. "Do you really think I would be fooled?" He gently clasped her hands in his. "Please… You know you can tell me anything."

Hesitating, she pulled up her sleeves, revealing crisscrossing slash wounds going all the way up her arms. Blumiere gasped.

So did a bed sheet wearing a fancy bowtie and a party hat. Well, he wasn't a bed sheet really (he had shoes, too), but he sure looked like one. "Oh man…" he murmured, leaning forward in his plushy seat, eyes glued to the scene on his TV screen. As the drama continued, he shoveled a handful of cheese puffs into his cut-out mouth.

"Who has done this to you?" Blumiere growled, amber eyes darkening to crimson. He went to wipe away her tears, but she turned aside her head.

"Blumiere… We… We shouldn't see each other anymore," the beautiful human girl choked out painfully.

"What?!" the sheet exclaimed, banging his invisible fist on the arm of his Laz-E-Boy. "No, no! You guys had better not break up!"

Blumiere definitely shared his sentiments. "What…? Timpani, why would you think that?" Seeing that she was scared, he reached for her to comfort her, but she moved away once again. "Timpani, my love… Please… Tell me how this happened. _Who_ did this?"

Trembling, she slowly turned towards him. "Oh, Blumiere… It was…"

"Yes…!" The bed sheet leaned forward, spooky red eyes widening in excitement.

"It was your-" KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"What!" the sheet screamed, accidentally knocking over his bowl of cheese puffs and getting them all over the floor. Blumiere wrapped his arms around her, bearing a rare expression of fury. He'd missed what she said.

Suddenly, the music took a dramatic turn, and an ominous shadow appeared onscreen. As the character did not show himself, it was up to the dialogue to reveal them. It was unfortunate that everything was drowned out by the resumption of the annoying knocking. Whoever was at the door didn't stop at three this time, and instead opted to produce ceaseless noise.

Desperately turning up the volume on the TV, he still couldn't hear what anyone was saying. Ok, now it was _definitely_ more than one person banging away at the steeple door. Despite being in the bell tower and as far from the front door as possible, he still heard someone clearly yelling, "Hey, you, weird ghost thing! We wanna talk to you! And don't pretend you're not there because we can hear you watching TV up there!"

The ghost put his head in his hands, trying not to shriek in frustration. "For crying out loud! Why can't I ever get any peace around here!" Getting out of his all-too-comfortable chair, he stomped downstairs to answer the door.

"What! What'd ya want!" he growled, flinging the door open. In front of him stood two mopey-looking villagers, one of which he knew to be the mayor. "Oh, you again. Make it snappy cause I'm missin' my show!"

The mayor coughed and ignored his glare. "Ahem, yes, Mr. …ah-"

"How many times do I haffta tell ya, slick? I don't like anybody knowin' my name, understand?"

"Very well. We're here on the matter of your overdue rent."

"Not payin' that."

"As well as your water bill-"

"Not payin' that either."

"And your cable bill, too."

"Oh ho ho ho, _definitely_ not payin' that!"

"Well, you're gonna have to pay something, mister!" the guy next to the mayor chimed in.

"Look, slicks. We've been over this. What kind of idiot expects a ghost to pay rent? What about the hundreds of boos that live here, huh? You gonna charge them, too?" He leaned against the doorframe, smirking smugly.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then why ya tryin' to put it all on me, huh, slick? I may not look it, but I'm a ghost too, and technically me movin' in here counts as a haunting." He glanced up at his bell tower, suddenly remembering that he was missing his show and didn't have time to mess with these mooks. "I'm sick of being bothered, so don't come back. _Or else!_" With that, he slammed the door and turned to leave.

But then, like the idiots they were, the duo started gossiping about him almost as soon as the latch clicked shut.

"Sir, you sure we should keep bugging this guy?" the other guy muttered.

"Of course. The steeple is Twilight Town property. If you move in, you have to pay your dues."

"I don't know… That guy doesn't seem like someone you should mess with. Plus, he does kind of have a point."

"Nonsense. He looks harmless. Besides, I can't let him slide. If I do, everyone else will want to as well, and it's hard enough to get people to care about payments as it is. If we come back every day, I'm sure he'll crack…"

"If you say so…"

Their voices faded away as they went down the path. The ghost's sheet would have turned a flaming red in anger if that was at all possible. Grouchily stomping back up the stairs, he muttered to himself, "Oooh, those guys _really_ get my goat… Why, I oughta…"

Suddenly, he froze in shock. On the screen, credits were rolling. He'd missed the whole gosh dang show!

"Alright, that's it! If you make me miss my soaps, then I'll just have to make my own!" He looked around the room, cooking up a plan for a curse. His eyes landed on the bell high above his head, then the red star-shaped crystal he'd found here recently.

"Oh ho ho ho… This is gonna be good…" he said to himself, Jack-O-Lantern mouth stretching into a large, devious grin, his red eyes glowing evilly with a sudden sinister power.


	31. Shattered

Thirty-one: Shattered  
Characters: Steven

Something wasn't right here. "C'mon eyes, open!" he thought loudly to himself, trying to mentally command his body to respond. There was a whisper right next to his ear and he jumped, realizing that his eyes already _were_ open. He'd thought they'd been closed because he was surrounded by complete darkness.

"H-Hello?" he called, hearing his voice echo back at him. He shivered, flashing back to when he was trapped in a bubble, floating through space. Alone… Lost… He had thought he would die out there…

But no; in space, there was the light of a billion stars and galaxies. Squinting, he tried to look around, but it was some time before anything appeared. A tiny sphere of orangish light was glowing in the distance. As soon as he spotted it, others appeared in all of the colors you could ever imagine. He gasped, getting an awful sense of déjà vu as the sequence became familiar. "The cluster…!"

The whispering kicked in and very quickly grew loud. "W-What's going on? Didn't y-you guys bubble?!"

He couldn't make out what they were saying. Shards floated by; touching one, he jerked his hand away quickly, feeling a surge of disoriented emotion. He was afraid to ask his next question, but he managed to choke it out: "Wh-What do you want?"

"Free!" "Help us…" "Where is me?" "Out." "Help!" "It hurts!" "Why?" "You!"

A million answers were forthcoming; he slapped his hands over his ears, feeling the sound thrum through his entire body. "S-Stop! One at a time, please!"

Everyone went quiet at once; he felt the force of their attention on him. A voice spoke out softly, "Please help us…"

"I-I'm sorry… I don't know what else to do!" Steven shook his head sadly, heart clenching in sorrow.

"Help…" "Help…" "We want to be free…" "We want ourselves…."

"You can't form, not without destroying the entire Earth! There's nothing I can do! I'm only one Gem!" Sympathetic tears fell from his eyes, floating in the black space.

The course of the whispering changed. "One Gem…" "One…" "Complete!"

Steven began to feel even more unnerved. What were they talking about now?

The little lights started to come closer, gathering all around him. He was rapidly surrounded. "Uh… W-What are you g-guys doing?"

He flinched when they bumped into him, again struck by unwanted and awful feelings. "Please, not so close!"

"One!" "Whole!" "You will help!" "One!" "With you!"

"Waah!" he cried out, cringing as he was repeatedly bumped into. "Please stop! That hurts!" He didn't understand what they'd all decided on.

The combined thoughts and feelings of all these shards was getting to be too much for him. The pressure in his head was unbearable. Clapping his hands over his ears did nothing to block out their voices.

Unable to avoid them, he curled up in a ball, summoning his bubble shield. To his horror, the gem shards passed right through it. Defenseless, he started to succumb to their will. By the time he realized that they wanted him to join them, it was too late to save himself. His gem began to glow against his will, the light getting brighter and brighter. Pressure flooded him, producing an utterly unfamiliar pain. His entire body ached all at once.

"Help us!" "Join us!" The voice of a million shards commanded. _Crack_

He screamed, eyes flying open. A set of glowing numbers close by said it was 3:23 in the morning. Uneasily, he pulled the covers tighter around him. He spent the rest of the night staring into the darkness, imagining dim shapes and lights calling for him.


	32. Demon

Thirty-two: Demon  
Characters: Dimentio

Down, down to the depths  
I'll send you screaming  
But only if you ask nicely

How many have wept  
After my passage seeming  
Like a breath so icy

It's nothing personal, you see  
It's the only thing I've mastered  
I just can't afford mercy

You can scream, you can cry  
It won't do you any good  
You can't change my mind

So it looks like you're not so kind  
What would you take back if you could  
Oh, don't pretend to be so blind

I don't do this for free  
Begging will kill you faster  
You don't want to mess with me

How I adore this game  
A most wonderful hobby  
My only claim to fame

Take a look around  
You're standing in the lobby  
Of the deepest, darkest town

In my mind I hold the key  
To your fate plastered  
With screams of ill-deeds


	33. Death

**I'm a third of the way there *dies***

* * *

Thirty-three: Death  
Characters: Magolor

He didn't know how this had happened. He had just wanted to be strong, so nobody could push him around anymore.

With his last dregs of strength, he dimly watched the battle, feeling as if he were a vast distance away. The little pink puff fought alone, his friends knocked far away. It was very impressive, the way he could still get up every time after each intensely powerful blow. Well, he hadn't really lied when he'd told him he admired him.

He vaguely felt the pain, but he was mostly feeling despair. As the Dark Matter possessing him weakened, so did he. Black gathered around the edges of his vision, and he couldn't hear much more than a high-pitched ringing in his ears. He'd gotten his power, yes, but at the cost of his very soul.

At last, Kirby dealt the final blow, a splitting strike that tore his warped body apart. As he and the Dark Matter screamed together, and the Master Crown began to shatter, he saw a look of deep sorrow on the pink puff's face and felt regret. If he could only take it all back, if he could only stop at fixing his dear companion the Lor, he would.

To make amends; that was his final wish. The Dark Matter died before him, and, just for a split second, he had control of the crown. He felt far worse about betraying the only friends he'd ever managed to make than anticipated, and not just because he'd gotten possessed. As he fell into nothingness, tears falling with him, he thought about how Kirby had never given up on him, even to the bitter end.


	34. Infatuation

Thirty-four: Infatuation  
Characters: Nastasia, Count Bleck

I knew it the second I saw his kind, amber eyes looking at me through the bars of my cage and I didn't feel afraid anymore. I knew it when he gently cradled me in his hands for a moment before letting me fly away. I'm still not sure how I came to be in this form. Maybe I just wished for it hard enough.

I'm a Tribeswoman of Darkness now… Well, not really… Um, I'm not a bat anymore either. I'm not anything, maybe something in between…

Well, it doesn't really matter… When I showed up stark naked at his campfire the next night, he calmly averted his eyes, gentleman that he was, and quickly fashioned me some makeshift clothing. He seemed to believe me when I told him I was that bat he had saved.

I quickly realized that something was wrong. He just looked so sad… I wanted to make him as happy as he'd made me. I could tell right away that he was a good person, so I had no qualms about pledging my undying gratitude to him. Shocked, he tried to dissuade me, but eventually gave in when I insisted.

He seemed to be searching for something, but, at first, he solemnly refused to tell me about who or what he was looking for. We traveled on in silence, and I always found myself blushing whenever he so much as looked at me. I knew straight away that I loved him, and I wished that he would love me in return. I was too shy to tell him as much; the time never seemed right. He was always distracted and pensive; in hindsight, he was as oblivious as I was obvious, and neither of us realized.

Things went on like that, like a daydream, for over a year. Finally, one night, he broke my heart without knowing that he did so. He had come to trust me enough to tell me the story behind his journey; he told me just who he was looking for. As he spoke of her, his eyes softened and he smiled gently. He had always looked at me kindly, but never quite like that. He never has, not even for a moment.

I wanted to leave right then and there; I didn't want to look at him for a few days at least, or possibly even forever. But I didn't go; I only listened. Each night, he told me more, and I began to realize just how soul-crushing his situation was. I knew without a doubt that he would never find her this way; he knew it too, but he refused to give up.

That was one of the things that I came to love so dearly about him. His spirit was so strong… It…It was torture, watching it get crushed and twisted just a bit more each day. He had been searching for over two years at this point, yet he still had hope. He kept a journal and filled it with the things he saw and the people he met, all so he could one day tell her about them.

He could not hide his suffering from me. There were many times where he told me that I could and should leave, that I should not be wasting my life following him around on a pointless quest. Sometimes, I was tempted to, there was so much to see in these worlds… But I stayed, because it was as clear as day that he desperately needed _someone, anyone,_ to help stave off the darkness that was slowly engulfing him. I had hope too, and, even if I could not glue together the pieces of his shattered heart, I never stopped trying.

I couldn't understand how anyone could consider him to be an evil demon, but some did. That is how we discovered what I could do. Whenever trouble arose, I could daze and immobilize out enemies while we got away. Eventually, I got strong enough to erase the memory of us from their minds. I knew I could do so much more damage, but the thought didn't sit well with either of us.

Once, I attempted to use my powers on him. I thought that maybe I could take away all his suffering, that I could wipe his slate clean so that he could find happiness again. I was unable to follow through on it for a number of reasons. Emotionally, I couldn't do that to him; I couldn't erase such a huge part of who he was, and…it was true love. No matter what happened to him, his heart would never forget. My power could not match up against that.

However, there was something else that blocked my power, something that turns my blood to ice whenever I think of it. It was…_aware_. _It knew I was there, inside his mind. _

It was pure darkness. Its presence was relatively small at the time; its influence could only grow stronger.

That was the first time I ever felt afraid of him. I'd definitely violated his trust and, just for a second, I could see that darkness in his eyes. I murmured something about just wanting to help, but it didn't matter. He never quite trusted me as much as he did before the incident.

After that, he only became more distant and cold. There were times where he thought he heard her voice calling to him, or that he caught a glimpse of her, her dress, her long hair, her warm eyes… He would realize it wasn't real and was crushed all over again, as if she had slipped through his fingers once more.

A few months later, he finally succumbed to the Dark Prognosticus.

His father had shown it to him shortly before he met her; he was told that, one day, he would have to be its guardian. I suspect that's when it first got its hooks into him. I refer to it as if it were a conscious being…because it is. I never read it myself, but I spent a great deal of time around it, and I could always feel it looking at me. W-Whatever it is, it's truly ancient…

…I-I'm sorry, I got a little off topic there… You wanted to know how I could possibly have a 'crush' on him. You know, it really kind of hurts when people assume that it was only some silly infatuation. I…I loved him…

Sometimes, I still wonder if it was all my fault…if things would have been alright if I had never invaded his privacy.

Sometimes, I think it was inevitable, and I only sped things up…

Even after that, I still didn't leave. He wiped out all the life in the dimension he was born in; the only being he spared was…was me. He even killed his own family, but not me! …Doesn't that…show how much he cared about me? He still cared even though I hurt him…

So I stayed, because I still had hope even then. I wasn't going to give up looking for her, even if he did. Besides, I wouldn't have known what to do with myself, not after all the dimensions we traveled through together, not after those nights where we'd just sit by the fire and talk… Without me, he would have lost himself entirely. I was his lifeline to what little of himself was left.

Even when the others joined up one by one, he was never as close to them as he once was to me. He never told them _why_ he wanted to destroy everything, though they caught him crying once or twice. But I know he _did_ care for them, because I do as well. I've always looked out for them, especially now, since all we've got is each other…

So, I guess that's the story of how I became a part of the group that wanted to destroy the universe… I never wanted things to go so far, but I just couldn't fill that hole in his heart… Seems like nothing can fill the hole in mine, either…


End file.
